At least Allen Iverson likes Ben Simmons’ City Edition
Allen Iverson likes the Philadelphia 76ers’ new black uniforms.
Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers are a particular bunch.
They (we) get a little too attached to specific things – a player, a logo, or even a catchphrase – and maybe, just maybe get a tad defensive when changes are proposed.
But hey, what are you going to do about it? This is Philly; it’s sort of our thing.
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So naturally, when news broke that Ben Simmons was going to gift his loving, never-suggested-trading-him-for-James-Harden-for-a-second fanbase a new black City Edition jersey, it got a little nuts over on Sixers Twitter.
And to be fair, the team played no small part in this hype.
From interactions between Simmons and Sixers president Chris Heck, to ‘A night’s drive on 76‘ hype videos and the ultimate pre-reveal reveal video starring none other than the team’s 24-year-old point forward labeled simply ‘Tomorrow‘ the team was cueing up for one heck of a drop.
The black jerseys were back and fans were HYPE… at least, until they weren’t.
Yes, the Sixers will be wearing black jerseys on occasion when the season opens up on December 22nd, but they aren’t the black jerseys, aka the black and gold uniforms made famous by Allen Iverson during his blistering tenure 1996-07 and then again for a little bit in 2009-10.
Is this a disappointing development? Oh, you’d best believe it, but before anyone goes full-on ‘burn down the Wells Fargo Center’, what does the man himself have to say on the subject?
Well, if his Slam-inspired jersey reveal picture is of any indication, The Answer apparently approves of Simmons’ vision.
Back in black...!! I had mine, now you have yours @bensimmons25... @sixers City Edition pic.twitter.com/4XPzKfHXJy
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) November 10, 2020
Now to be fair, these jerseys aren’t that bad. Did I think it had some sort of odd tribal lettering between the number and the word ‘Philadelphia’ when I initially saw the image half asleep on my phone? Oh, you’d best believe it, but objectively speaking, the nod to ‘Boathouse Row’ is a pretty nice touch.
Upon further examination, the jersey is actually loaded with a ton of nice touches, like the liberty bell ‘buckle‘ with a red, black, and blue belt on the pants, and a playoff snake hidden under a flap.
Is this jersey going to magically revive Hip Hop and pit the zombified mascot in a tête-à-tête with certified good boy Franklin, where the loser leaves town once and for all? Goodness no, some things are better left in the past, but it’s also not bad enough to start looking for a new team to follow either. It’s basically a black version of 2018-19’s Rocky-inspired City Edition uniforms with some auxiliary alterations, and personally, that jersey is one of my all-time favorites.
Next. Tobias Harris is the NBA’s highest-paid third option. dark
Ultimately, maybe getting back the ‘more youthful, hip-hop oriented’ jerseys from the turn of the century isn’t what Philadelphia 76ers fans want after all. As Bubba Chuck said so eloquently in his tweet, he had his black jersey; now it’s time for Ben Simmons to have his. Is that just company speak for ‘tough luck’? Eh, maybe so, but what is life as a Sixers fan but a string of minor disappointments?